OD&L.TRAINER. Created PRISM Philosophy

Monthly Archives: October 2017

Dreams are not achieved alone. As Maxwell says, people must have a “dream team.” To properly answer the People Question, an individual needs to determine whether or not they have included all the people necessary to realize a dream. Walt Kallestad, CEO of The Joy Company, developed an acrostic list for “dream team” qualities. Good team members:

* Dare to focus on the dreamer’s significance, not just his or her success.

* Respond to the dreamer’s ideas with respect, rather than disgust or contempt.

* Expect the best.

* Affirm the dreamer’s talents and abilities.

* Maximize learning and growth opportunities to improve both the dream and the dreamer.

* Take time to give honest feedback.

* Encourage the dreamer unconditionally to help him or her persevere.

* Accept only excellence, since mediocrity kills dreams.

* Make the most of the dreamer’s mistakes and failures.

Maxwell also identifies three additional qualities for dream team members. He seeks out people who inspire him, who are honest, and whose skills complement his. There are four steps that people can take to recruit and engage a dream team:

* To recruit the team, transfer the vision. Dream casting requires good communication skills and conviction in the significance of the dream.

* Transfer the dream logically. People do not buy into dreams if they do not believe in them. The first step in gaining credibility is to communicate a dream logically. This means that people must demonstrate an understanding of the dream that is at least as comprehensive as their audience. The second step is to offer a sound strategy for achieving the dream.

* Transfer the dream emotionally. People will only embrace a dream if the dreamer connects with them emotionally. This means describing the dream in a way that appeals to the audience’s interests, demonstrating how committed the dreamer is to the dream, and illustrating the benefits of attaining the dream.

* Transfer the dream visually. When dreamers do everything within their power to live their dreams, they become a living advertisement for the dream. This is compelling to others.

Like this:

To answer the Pathway Question affirmatively, people must have a strategy to reach their dream. When Maxwell wants to make progress toward a dream, he evaluates his current position, where he wants to go, and what steps he must take to get to his goal. He recommends three actions to execute a strategy and achieve a dream:

1. Do something. It is essential to get moving and try different things. Even if a person does not know exactly what to do to achieve a dream, it should not prevent them from doing something to get things started.

2. Do something today related to the dream. It is very easy to get bogged down in daily tasks. People who are serious about achieving their dreams find something each day that will bring them closer to their dreams.

3. Do something every day to advance the dream. The secret to success is focused persistence. Doing the right things day after day will result in inevitable progress toward a dream.

In addition to this advice, Maxwell offers four more tips for developing a pathway toward a dream:

* Be flexible. Once a strategy has been developed, it is important to remain flexible. While a dream may remain the same over time, other things may change like timelines, resources, plans, and team members. A rigid mindset can prevent people from achieving their dreams.

* Remove the nonessentials. It is always necessary to give up some things to achieve a dream. Removing nonessentials from a daily routine is a good idea. Often, people are unable to reach their dreams because they try to carry too many things along on their journey.

* Embrace all the challenges. Everyone encounters challenges on the route to a dream. It is best to prepare and face them head on. Failures should be embraced and analyzed. This prevents people from making the same mistake twice.

* Use the SECURE acronym to help with planning. State all positions, Examine all actions, Consider all options, Utilize available resources, Remove all the nonessentials, and Embrace all challenges.

The Passion Question requires people to answer whether their dream is compelling enough to follow it through to its realization. Passion is a unique aspect of dreams. It is not all that is needed to achieve a dream, yet if a person does not have enough passion he or she may not have sufficient energy and motivation to achieve a dream in the end. The path to a dream usually includes detours and obstacles. Passion ensures that people to keep their dreams alive and overcome adversity. It also enables individuals to move outside their comfort zone to advance their dreams. Passion sets people up to succeed.

Maxwell offers four ways that individuals can generate more passion for their dreams:

1. Acknowledge natural temperament. Not everyone is highly passionate. Understanding and accepting personality traits can be helpful as people assess the passion they have for their dreams.

2. Keep focused on what is important. It is easier to remain passionate about a dream if an individual remembers what is important and why the dream seemed compelling in the first place.

3. Overcome the fear of being different from others. It is not possible to achieve a dream and still be part of the crowd. To live an extraordinary life, it is necessary to follow passion and not worry about others’ opinions.

4. Resist the apathy that comes with aging. Although children are passionate by nature, most people lose their passion for life as they get older. It is important not to become apathetic, no matter what difficulties have arisen in life